Guardian’s “wildlife photographer of the year” contest

Some day one of my readers is going to win one of these contests. In this case the Guardian has posted 11 pictures taken by the finalists of the 2015 “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” contest. The winner will be announced on October 18. Go look at the 11 photos and pick the winner. Below I’ve chosen my five favorites, which include an Honorary Cat™. (There’s also a real felid among the other 6). The notes and credits are taken from the Guardian.

Nosy Neighbor by Sam Hobson (UK)

Sam knew exactly who to expect when he set his camera on the wall one summer’s evening in a suburban street in Bristol, the UK’s famous fox city. He wanted to capture the inquisitive nature of the urban red fox in a way that would pique the curiosity of its human neighbours about the wildlife around them.

Photograph: Sam Hobson/2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Termite Tossing by Willem Kruger (South Africa)

Termite after termite after termite – using the tip of its massive beak-like forceps to pick them up, the hornbill would flick them in the air and then swallow them. Foraging beside a track in South Africa’s semi-arid Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, the southern yellow-billed hornbill was so deeply absorbed in termite snacking that it gradually worked its way to within 6 metres (19ft) of where Willem sat watching from his vehicle.

Photograph: Willem Kruger/2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Swarming under the Starsby Imre Potyo (Hungary)

Imre was captivated by the chaotic swarming of mayflies on Hungary’s River Rába and dreamt of photographing the spectacle beneath a starlit sky. For a few days each year (at the end of July or beginning of August), vast numbers of the adult insects emerge from the Danube tributary, where they developed as larvae. On this occasion, the insects emerged just after sunset. At first, they stayed close to the water, but once they had mated, the females gained altitude.

Photograph: Imre Potyó/2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Collective courtship by Scott Portelli (Australia)

Thousands of giant cuttlefish gather each winter in the shallow waters of South Australia’s Upper Spencer Gulf for their once-in-a-lifetime spawning. Males compete for territories that have the best crevices for egg‐laying and then attract females with mesmerising displays of changing skin colour, texture and pattern. Rivalry among the world’s largest cuttlefish – up to a metre (3.3ft) long – is fierce, as males outnumber females by up to 11 to one.

Photograph: Scott Portelli/2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Golden relic by Dhyey Shah (India)

With fewer than 2,500 mature adults left in the wild, in fragmented pockets of forest in northeastern India (Assam) and Bhutan, Gee’s golden langurs are endangered. Living high in the trees, they are also difficult to observe. But, on the tiny man-made island of Umananda, in Assam’s Brahmaputra River, you are guaranteed to see one. Site of a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, the island is equally famous for its introduced golden langurs. Within moments of stepping off the boat, Dhyey spotted the golden coat of a langur high up in a tree.

Yep those are a nice batch of photographs and stories. The disappearing fish is intriguing, is that photo manipulated to demonstrate the natural effect, if not, good job.

“Rivalry among the world’s largest cuttlefish – up to a metre (3.3ft) long – is fierce, as males outnumber females by up to 11 to one.”
I have just watched a series called ‘natures greatest hustlers’. I was pleasantly surprised I thought it would be… well, crap.
The male cuttlefish featured. The smaller males will take on the behaviour and appearance of a female, sidle up to the larger male and mate with a female right under the nose of the wary larger male.
Suckered well and truly.
A small bright coloured bird used light, or should i say lack of… shadows to enhance it’s colour display, effectively using an illusion to impress a potential mate. One species of mollusc used a lure to disperse it’s offspring! the lure happened to have all the markings and relative shape of a small fish that was eaten by a a local predator. When the lure was attacked the mollusc would spray all it’s clam like spawn into it’s face where they promptly attached themselves inside the gills. What’s amazing about that is, the mollusc has no eyes to fashion a lure that looked like the predators favourite dish. The predator looked a little stunned by this action.
If a nervous system is all you need i find this a neat example of early pre brain life where brain stuff, let alone eyes were not essential to survive. It outwitted a brain comprehensively.
Sorry i do not have names for the above. I could find out but i’m lazy.

It is an interesting theme in animals that where there is competition among males for access to females, then natural selection comes up with different forms of males. A common form that turns up in many species is just as you describe in cuttlefish — sneaky males that look like females. They sneak in and mate, while not triggering the big males’ attack.